Acclimatized
by Serenadea
Summary: Charisma; that was the word. Renji had enough charisma to charm even a man who had been born cold and—for the most part—unmoved by worldly passions.


"You're comin' to the concert tonight, right?"

Byakuya glanced icily towards his cell—currently on speakerphone, balanced on top of a hefty pile of books—and continued going through his notes. With his bar exam in three scant days, he shouldn't have answered the phone, but Renji was nothing if not…persistent. After two hours of the phone ringing at ten minute intervals, Byakuya had been compelled to answer.

"We've been through this before, Abarai. I have studying to complete."

"Byakuya. You've been studying since three weeks ago, when you barricaded yourself in you apartment, refusing to see anyone—"

"Rukia and Yoruichi dropped by. And I let you in, once."

"Yeah, because I _broke in_ through the _window,_" Renji snarled. Byakuya frowned harder at his notes, wondering if it would be best just to hang up. But then he heard the redhead sigh and his voice softened. "At least let me visit you after the concert's over? I miss you."

"Hm." His sharp grey eyes were fixated on the phone, an almost smile lifting the corners of his mouth despite the frown still etched on his face. "Use the door this time."

"You gonna open the door this time?"

"Abarai—"

"Only teasin', sunshine." His laughter, even over the phone, was as rich and deep as sinful as chocolate drenched in chocolate, with a bright burst of nutmeg and other spices at the center. Byakuya didn't even _like _chocolate that much. Not really. "I'll let you get back to your studying. Love you."

There was a small, unoccupied instant where Byakuya should have said something, then the connection ended. His head dropped to rest on the table lightly, eyes closed and silky black hair spilling over the temporarily forgotten notes.

Every time. Why didn't he, why couldn't he say it? Every time, he meant to reply, but the words never came. Was he waiting for the perfect moment? Even he didn't know. He was thankful that, despite his impatient tendencies, Abarai Renji seemed to wait with unending patience. Byakuya supposed that after two and half years, the younger man would be used to his reluctance to open up to anyone emotionally.

They had come a long way together; a very long way.

Time slipped by without meaning or thought. He studied with a dogged fervor, until around midnight when his yawns were getting too bothersome to suppress. After checking that the spare key was under the mat outside so Renji could let himself in, he went to the other room, collapsed gracefully on the couch with a blanket and promptly fell asleep.

"_So, what brings you here? Work or somethin'?" The redhead nodded towards his suit, hands in pockets and leaning up against the elevator wall. Byakuya regarded him coolly: his brilliant hair pulled up into a ponytail, the worn leather jacket and scuffed boots, the instrument strapped to his back._

"_I don't see how it is any business of yours."_

"_Hey, don't get insulted," he said, making a soothing gesture. "Just making conversation. It's not like we'll be getting out of here anytime soon. Maintenance in places like this are terrible, especially at a time like this. No overtime pay, ya know."_

_The previous silence fell once more. Of all people to be stuck in a broken down elevator with, for an unknown, probably far too long amount of time, it had to be _this _man? _

"…_I'm here to visit my family," Byakuya finally replied. The other man raised his eyebrows. Of course—it would seem odd. Coming to visit family and staying in a hotel instead of with the said family. But maybe something showed in his face, because the man didn't question._

_The truth was that Byakuya's father had just passed away; he was here to see the will carried out officially, the formalities of the funeral. The silver lining was getting to see his sister, Rukia, again._

"_No kiddin'? My folks used to live around here too. But I'm just here for the weekend, hanging out with a few old friends. Ah," he stuck out his hand with a crooked grin. "The name's Renji, Abarai Renji."_

_Byakuya hesitated, looking at the tan hand covered with little scars, the nails clipped meticulously short. Then he took it, regarding the man's face. Everything about Renji was sharp angles and bright confidence, his hazel eyes narrow but full of luminous energy. And there was something in his aura, behind his overwhelming presence and blunt words. It drew the older man unconsciously closer._

_Charisma; that was the word. Renji had enough charisma to charm even a man who had been born cold and—for the most part— unmoved by worldly passions._

"_Kuchiki Byakuya."_

_Hours later, they were finally rescued from the elevator by maintenance—but not before the two men had made a strange bond, tentative but powerful all the same. When the redhead had shot him a grin and waved, headed for the floor above his own, Byakuya felt like some warmth that had built a home in his chest vanished._

He awoke with a start as a shadow passed over his face. Renji smiled at him, crouching down beside the couch. The older man's eyes were still cloudy with sleep, a soft, dove-like shade of grey.

"Hey, you."

Byakuya rubbed at his face, curling up his legs to make room for him on the couch. Renji sat down at the silent invitation, propping his legs up on the coffee table.

"The concert went well, I presume," Byakuya murmured, voice slightly husky from disuse. The other man made an affirming noise in the back of his throat, pulling out his hair tie and letting his bright hair spill down the back of the couch.

"You presume correctly. You could have just gone off to bed, you know. Sleeping out here can't possibly be comfortable." When he didn't reply, those hazel eyes cracked open lazily and frowned at him. "I would have woken you up either way."

"I realize that."

He snorted. "You're pretty weird sometimes, Byakuya. Do you have any food? I'm starved."

"Leftovers are in the fridge."

"You," Renji said, getting to his feet and stealing a quick kiss, "are an angel."

Byakuya wrapped a blanket around his shoulders and followed him into the kitchen, moving a few of his books off to the side. He watched Renji as he heated up his food in the microwave, disregarding the table and swinging himself up onto the counter to eat.

"So, you worried 'bout the exam?"

He shook his head, frowning. "A bit; I have been preparing for a while now, so if I don't pass then I never will. I am working at the very best of my abilities right now."

"No wonder you look so exhausted. Don't push yourself so hard, Byakuya." The man gestured at him with his fork threateningly. "Or I will kick your ass."

"Oh, yes, because that would be the logical solution," he said dryly, but he appreciated the evident affection behind the crude statement. "In any case, I am perfectly. If I cannot handle this trivial pressure, I am simply unfit to become a lawyer." _And my entire life thus far has been spent in vain._

"You know I hate it when you talk like that."

"Beg pardon?"

Renji's sharp hazel eyes frowned at him, wrinkling the man's tattooed brow. "You talk like you're weak, and we both know damn well that ain't true."

_I don't want to argue_, Byakuya thought absently, gazing calmly into his lover's impassioned features. Not tonight. He inclined his head gracefully, not quite submissive but allowing the potential conflict slip by. A silence fell between the men, worn comfortable after two years together.

"Was I snapping again?"

"Hm."

"Sorry, sunshine. But sometimes I just—"

"I know."

"Especially when it's late and—"

"_Abarai._" The older man's lips twitched into an almost-smile and his perpetually neutral expression gained a fractional amount of warmth. "I believe I am fully aware of your temperament at this point."

A lopsided grin split the redhead's face in two as he turned from placing his used dishes in the sink. "'Course you are. You're not gonna kick me out now, are you?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Only if you don't already know the answer to that question."

The problem was, Byakuya thought languorously, burying his hands in that river of fox-red hair, he wasn't so completely unaccustomed to failure. It was doubtful that he wouldn't pass the exam, but the numbers did stand against many people—even those of high mental caliber, such as himself. The idea of losing, the humiliation of it, kept him awake, gnawing brutally at his proud heart. If he failed at this, he wouldn't be able to meet his own eyes again.

Of course, there were some things that were worth growing used to.

"_This makes the third time, doesn't it?"_

_Byakuya's breath hitched ever so slightly as the redhead moved even closer, his calloused hands closing over the smooth skin of his upper arms. Those hazel eyes were intent upon his pale face, bright, fiery—passionate, he now recognized. A mere week after the elevator incident, the two men had run into each other at the local coffee shop. They had exchanged a few words; too few in Byakuya's opinion, as he had spent the entire week full of a peculiar longing. _

_And now…_

"_When you run into a stranger three times, your fates intertwine," Renji was saying, sounding unusually academic and romantic and horribly charming. "Read it somewhere. Though it might have been three times in one day. D'ya think it matters?"_

"_I would hardly be likely to know, would I?"His back pressed against the tree trunk—a cherry tree, he registered dimly. The first time he had fallen in love, he had professed his feelings beneath a cherry tree, the blossoms falling around them. Now, it seemed oddly appropriate that Abarai Renji had found him here._

"_So tell me, Byakuya. Is this a habit of yours, wandering around in parks at night?"_

_He didn't respond, too preoccupied with the heat radiating from younger man and how it seemed to curl around him. Renji lowered his head until their foreheads were pressed lightly together._

"_You're shaking."_

"_I'm not exactly used to this."_

"_Yeah, well." He smiled and pressed a kiss to the side of Byakuya's neck. "Some things are just worth getting used to, sunshine."_

* * *

**I realize that was rather brief and slightly pointless, but please let me know what you thought. The idea had been bugging me for while, even though I honestly don't think anything would ever happen between these guys. **

**Anyway, thanks for reading! Reviews are, as always, eagerly awaited and gratefully accepted.**


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